Nothing If Not
by Cassandra's Destiny
Summary: More than snippets and more than vignettes, it is nothing if not a celebration of all things Kurama and Botan.
1. Beatific

_Standard disclaimers apply._

**NOTHING IF NOT**

_**By Cassandra's Destiny**_

.

_Nothing if not… beatific_

.

"Kurama…" She didn't look up as she addressed him. "What do you think about angels?"

"Angels?"

"Uh-huh. You know, the ones with wings and a shiny halo."

"Shiny halo?" He lifted up one flap of her book for the title. Chuckling to himself, he let it fall back. "The angel of death is reading about angels."

"These angels are different." Botan quibbled, half in irritation, half in amusement. "They have wings and little children pray to them for guidance and protection."

"Wings, guidance and protection." Kurama echoed her words. He held the pages of his book between his fingers, glancing casually at its contents. "Humans recognize their need to affiliate themselves with a higher being."

She looked at him finally. "What?"

"Angels. Children pray to angels because they believe there are beings higher than them who give them guidance and protection."

"I see." Keeping her index finger in between the pages of her book, she let it rest on her side. "But what do you think about angels?"

His reply was delayed. "I think they are beatific."

"Beatific?"

He slowly nodded, still not taking his eyes away from what he was reading.

"Did you just make up that word?"

"No."

"Did you get that word off a bumper sticker?"

"No."

"Did you learn that word from your book?"

"No."

"Are you intentionally using big words to confuse me?"

"No."

"Are you just saying _no_ out of impulse?"

"No."

"Do you like me?"

Kurama parted his lips to speak, "Yes." Placing his book on the table beside him, his warm hands rested on the sides of her face. "I do."

At a torturously slow pace, which a bubbly and hyperactive Botan cannot seem to get over, Kurama brought her face forward and kissed her eyelashes: such an act she deemed impossible before today. His lips were feathers settling almost weightlessly on her skin. Thoughts of wings and shiny halos slowly faded.

"Blissful… of heavenly happiness." He murmured, fingers gently running through her hair.

"Kurama…"

"But _beatific_ is the word to describe this moment."


	2. Unpredictable

_Standard disclaimers apply._

**NOTHING IF NOT**

_**By Cassandra's Destiny**_

.

_Nothing if not… unpredictable_

.

A few rain drops, a light sky yet with gray clouds, everything cast in an orange hue. People passing by, taking casual happy walks. Umbrellas unneeded. That was until she plopped down next to Kurama.

"I can't believe it began raining _this_ hard." The atmosphere was moist and brought a slight chill. Her skin and clothes dampened slightly. Bare legs freezing; thong sandals completely missing the point of comfortable footwear.

"Be thankful we had time to rush to the waiting shed before it started to pour."

"Yea," was her only reply. She swung her legs back and forth. Waiting was madness, minutes too long and protracted.

"Did you—"

"Call?"

She nodded slowly.

"Yes, I did. Yusuke says the meeting is better off canceled."

"And what about us? What did Yusuke say?"

"He said he'll come get us."

"That's great!" Her voice was hopeful, at its optimistic peak even.

"My call was twenty minutes ago…" He told her grimly. "He must've forgotten."

She let out a sound that seemed half sigh, half scoff, then smiled. "I'd give him the benefit of the doubt."

"So you doubt him too."

She seemed not to have heard him, continued just the same. "I trust Yusuke. He might be on his way right now."

"It doesn't take that long to walk from his house to here. Besides, the benefit of the doubt is given to people you doubt." He laughed inwardly as Botan pursed her lips like a four-year old girl who got banned from eating too many sweets.

"Then he doesn't deserve the benefit of the doubt."

He shrugged. "Maybe he deserves something else."

"I trust Yusuke." Her voice was softer, and with a glance, he says it matched her lowered brows.

He replied because of the hint of frustration in her voice. It didn't suit her. "Alright. Let's wait for Yusuke."

"Because he'll come."

"Yes, because he'll come."

"And not forget or be distracted."

"Aye, and not forget or be distracted."

Silence.

After too long, she struggled for comfort. Several positions later, she was most comfortable seated with her legs crossed, figured her legs will provide for each other the heat her thong sandals failed to give, and for her skin that her skirt failed to cover. Looking up, the clouds were unchanging. Dark, heavy and pouring hard. No thunder. No lightning. _"Maybe later."_ She thought. The storm may just be beginning.

"My faith is not unwavering." It was Kurama who broke the silence.

She looked up at him and stared at his placid figure. Fingers clasped, torso straight, eyes closed and feet planted firmly on the ground. He looked so calm and in control. If this is Kurama with a wavering patience, she wondered how peaceful he would've looked if he had the patience not of a demon. "I am so telling Keiko on him."

"Maybe they're together." His expression was unchanging; tone unaffected by the awkwardness of their situation.

"Yusuke and Keiko? Right now?"

"It's a very pleasant day."

A sigh, then a snort. "It's raining and we're stuck in the comfort of a waiting shed. Keiko wouldn't hold him off."

"If she knew."

Botan, again with the sighing. She has been scolding herself for the last five minutes for not bringing an umbrella. She should've known it would rain on the last few days of summer. The weather on earth was funny that way. End of summer equals thunderstorms. Go figure. Plus she should've been a girl scout who is always rea—

"Nobody knew it was going to rain." His voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "The sky was clear when we met at the park. The rainfall was sudden and unexpected."

She huffed. "The weatherman should've seen that coming."

"Rain is too unpredictable to foretell." He stated simply.

"Yusuke should've thought about the unpredictability of the weather before scheduling a meeting outdoors."

He smiled, eyes remained closed, form imperturbable. "Rain makes you cranky?"

She sighed, opening her mouth as if to speak, then shutting it.

"You sigh often too?" He was wrong. She had something to say.

"I'm exhausted. This day has been too tiring."

"Hard day at Koenma's office?"

"Yea." She stretched her legs before completely losing feeling in them. Glancing at her companion, she again noted Kurama's placid form before continuing. "Perhaps all the work has finally taken a toll on me."

"Everyone has the right to break down every once in a while…" He paused, giving her a moment of thought. "Even you."

She was tired, body and soul equally worn out. Her reply came out only above a whisper. "You think so?"

He nodded once.

Botan sighed for what seemed to be the hundredth time that afternoon. Five-thirty and the clock still ticking. Rain falling hard. Nippy wind gusting, completing a bleak summer day.

"They're getting bigger."

"What are?"

His answer came slowly. "…the raindrops."

She looked up into the sky once more. Nothing seemed to have changed from the view she had seen a while ago. "How did you—"

"Close your eyes." It was more of a suggestion than a command, but close her eyes, she did.

"Can you hear it?"

She focused her mind on the sound of the drops of water falling to the ground. Each bead sending off louder thuds upon contact with the concrete. The _later_ in her _maybe later_ is here and now. Unpredictable or not, the rain picked up suddenly, forming fuller droplets to fall upon their shed.

Opening her eyes, she turned to her side and saw water rushing from the shed's roof. If water was falling from the top of her shed's side, it must be falling from Kurama's side too.

"Kurama…" was all that came out at first, seeing the water indeed falling on his side of the shed. "You can come closer. You're getting wet there."

Opening his eyes finally, he glanced at his shoulder. Lips curling into a small smile, he scooted over to Botan. "Thanks."

And they both watched the rain fall, all in the comfort of the waiting shed.


	3. Immeasurable

_Standard disclaimers apply._

**NOTHING IF NOT**

_**By Cassandra's Destiny**_

.

_Nothing if not... immeasurable_

.

"A week of neglect," Botan quipped, "and you make it up to me by bringing a large pack of jelly beans?"

"I thought you liked jelly beans?"

She sighed, involuntarily fingering her hair.

"I like to eat jelly beans, not stare at them."

"So you don't like my present?"

"I do!" She protested sincerely. "I just… don't understand why I can't eat them."

She heard Kurama tut, drumming his fingers lightly upon the table. "Let's play a game."

"A game?"

He nodded once.

Botan slowly raised a brow, giving Kurama an incredulous look as he opened the plastic package of jellies. "What's the game about?"

There was no reply. Kurama hurriedly stood up to get hold of small cereal bowls. She wasn't sure what he was up to, or what the cereal bowls were for. To say she was surprised at the spontaneity of Kurama's actions would hit the jackpot. She truly was.

"Kurama?"

The bowls were placed on the table side by side, pack of jelly beans opened in front of her.

"A week of neglect." His tone was calm and casual, typical Kurama.

"What?"

"A week of neglect; that is what the game is about."

She bobbed her head to the side, trying her hardest to understand what he was trying to make of the situation. "And the jelly beans?"

"The pros and cons of being apart."

Botan lifted a brow.

"For example, being away from you for a week has its advantages."

"Really now…?"

He gave a nod, slowly picking up a jelly bean. "I got to spend time alone with my brother." And he placed the jelly bean in a cereal bowl. "Your turn."

"Being away from you for a week…" She got three jelly beans from the pack. "I didn't get scolded by Koenma for taking alternative routes to Yusuke's house." Placing the three together with Kurama's discarded jelly bean, Botan caught on the objectives of the game.

"My turn." He placed five jelly beans on his right hand. "Being away from you for a week, gave me much time to spend alone with my mother."

"And that accounts for five?"

He smiled. "Of course."

Pursing her lips, she added six more jelly beans to Kurama's five. "Your mother deserves more than that."

She heard him chuckle slightly, dropping the jelly beans on the cereal bowl.

"Being away from you for a week actually gave room for a girls only weekend."

"Just three?"

She placed a finger on her chin, pondering on the sleepless nights she has spent with Keiko and the others, chatting and eating junk food. "Okay, maybe four."

They continued the game, each naming an event celebrated without the presence of the other. The bowl for the pros of being apart was more than half full, so Kurama suggested it was time to fill the other bowl.

"The cons?"

"Yes."

"Can I go first?"

His reply was delayed, but his tone filled with certainty. "Sure."

"Okay." Botan picked up the pack of jelly beans and placed it near her for easy access, getting two beans as she began naming the cons of being apart.

"Being away from you for a week didn't give me the chance to see your face." Two jelly beans.

Kurama opened his mouth to name his cons, but Botan continued. "Being away from you for a week didn't give me much opportunity to admire the flowers." Three jelly beans.

"Being away from you for a week made me feel weird inside whenever Yusuke or Kuwabara asks me where you were or how you're doing." Six jelly beans.

It was now clear she had no intention of letting him have his turn. Her face was stoic and her tone solemn. Kurama took the hint. A week of neglect and Botan had a lot to say.

"Being away from you for a week meant I had no one to narrate to every single detail of my day." Four jelly beans.

"And I had no one to eat ice cream with." Three jelly beans.

"And no one to offer me a milkshake." Two jelly beans.

"No one to push me in the swings when I pass by the park." Three jelly beans.

"No one to wish me good night…" Five jelly beans.

"No one to hold my hand and kiss my forehead when I've grown tired…" Seven jelly beans.

"No one to tell me everything is going to be okay…" Six jelly beans.

"No one to take evening strolls with…" Five jelly beans.

She sighed, picking up more jelly beans. "Being away from you for a week made me feel really jealous of Yusuke and Keiko…" Ten jelly beans.

"…made me feel unsafe." Eleven jelly beans.

"…sometimes, uncared for." And she tipped over the entire pack of beans, letting all its contents fall into the bowl.

"Kurama," she began slowly. "Promise me you'd never ever leave town without calling?"

She wasn't broken. Kurama knew, and he gave her his sincerest smile. "I promise."

"And your cons?"

"Simple."

"…"

"Being away from you for a week meant missing all of this. And all of this…" He gazed at her form, eyes brimming with emotion, tears threatening to fall. "Is worth more than all the jelly beans money can buy."

A week of neglect. Two once-empty cereal bowls. And a large pack of jelly beans.

Now she had a smile on her face, and Kurama was content.


	4. Picture Perfect

_Standard disclaimers apply._

**NOTHING IF NOT**

_**By Cassandra's Destiny**_

.

_Nothing if not... picture perfect_

.

It was insanity – for her to drag him to a small studio like this and beg him to wear different getups before posing for the camera.

"Botan," he began, "I don't think wearing these things is necessary."

She was rummaging through a large pile of costumes and props when she stopped short, turning her head to give Kurama an incredulous look. "You've got to be kidding! These bunny ears are too adorable to deny!"

"Yes, but—"

"So you'd wear them?" She asked, partly expectant, partly agitated over his would-be answer.

He sighed. Kurama knew he was to do anything for her, but when he made that choice, he wasn't aware of the consequences – and by consequences, he meant the dreaded bunny ears.

"Kurama?"

He took in a deep breath and prepared himself. Before he could say anything though, he noticed the smile on Botan's face faltering for a second. "Maybe you could…" she bit her lip, apprehensive, thoughtful. She furrowed her brows, turning to the pile of costumes once more.

"Okay then. No bunny ears." Her voice held a certain finality in it. Kurama mentally gave himself a pat on the shoulder. Points to him for avoiding the bunny ears without telling her, in the harshest manner, that it was completely tacky.

His rejoice, however, was short-lived. As soon as Botan turned around, Kurama immediately regretted not having worn the bunny ears. "Angel wings and a cute halo!"

"…"

"Maybe we can use the backdrop with the blue fluffy clouds. What do you think?"

_What does he think?_ He thinks the Youko in him would tear the pair of wings apart should he even be eight inches from it.

"Botan, the wings—"

"You don't like them?" She shrugged, taking out a set of butterfly wings. "Look, it even comes with antennae!"

Botan was ecstatic. She held butterflies in general close to her heart, and for good reason. The reason, of course, Kurama knew. _"But still,"_ he thought, noting the antennae were set on a thick head band with pink lace.

"Don't you just love butterflies, Kurama?"

He mentally twitched. She was too in love with butterflies, and for him to reject her vision would break her heart. _"What's a guy to do?"_

"I don't…" he began, slowly, digesting every word he was about to utter. "Maybe you can dress up as a butterfly and I can be something else?"

She raised a brow, then bit her lower lip as if in deep thought. "Okay!"

"O-kay…?"

"You can be a sunflower!" She frolicked, grabbing a bright and bold sunflower head dress from the pile. "This one's perfect!"

He closed his eyes for a second, wishing all those props and costumes would just go away and leave him alone. But as he opened his eyes, they were still there. The sunflower head dress slowly being fitted to his head.

"This looks really bad on you." He heard Botan say.

"Really? Well, that's such a shame then." A lie.

Botan sighed. She placed the head dress back to the pile and set it aside.

"How about…"

Kurama was dreading what she was to say next. _"Maybe she'd say I should be cupid, since she seems to have this weird fanaticism for wings."_

"…we…" Purposely, she made her speech choppy.

"_If worse comes to worst, I'll pose as a penguin, or a remote control."_

"…pose as two people who care about each other too much to let a little head dress or a pair of wings get in between them?"

He was dumbfounded, surprised, shocked and staggered. He definitely did not see that one coming.

"Come on," she entwined her hands with his, feigning a surprise kiss on his cheek for the camera. "Say cheese!"

A flash.

After the picture was developed, Kurama held it between his fingers. There he was, head turned last second before the flash, turning the tables on Botan on her surprise kiss. True enough, the photo came out picture perfect. No bunny ears. No angel wings. And definitely no sunflower head dress.


	5. Thoughtful

_Standard disclaimers apply._

**NOTHING IF NOT**

_**By Cassandra's Destiny**_

.

_Nothing if not… thoughtful_

.

Don't try to order people's hearts, his mother told him, just be honest about your feelings.

November rain streaks the concrete pavement, window panes heavy with dew; from his bed, he watches the dark clouds mask the rising sun, unable to dispense its rays in red and yellow hues. Kurama was never one to find comfort in a drizzly morning too easily; his mind recalls, with such profoundness, a similar morning where, with a loving and sincere smile, his mother made him breakfast in bed.

He lies on his back and pretends to doze off. Moments later, he becomes aware of the soft creak from the door opening. Without opening his eyes or asking out loud, Kurama knew who it was.

"Wake up, sleepy head."

He feels the mattress shift as she sits down.

"Come on," her voice is chirpy and buoyant. "Don't tell me you intend to sleep in on such a wonderful day!"

Every day is a wonderful day for her.

Kurama opens his eyes and sees Botan grinning widely at him. With her is a tray of stainless steel, containing plates, cups, saucers and the like. "I think I'm sick." A sneeze.

She is not that much against the small laugh that escaped her lips. "I told you, you shouldn't have stayed under the rain too long."

"But I have an above average immune system."

"Really now?" She raises a brow. "Perhaps if you didn't attempt helping Kuwabara unloading crates on the warehouse outside town… that place was like a concentration camp; it was too hot in there!"

Another sneeze.

"Here." She hands him a sheet of tissue paper before leaning to the drawer to get a whole box. "I guess that's you're excuse for staying in bed."

Much as Kurama loves having Botan by his side, it feels wrong. Shouldn't he be the one bringing her breakfast without being asked? Shouldn't he be the one taking care of her, handing her a box of soft tissue for when she has a cold?

"I made you breakfast."

He sits up on the bed as he studies the contents of the tray carefully: bacon, eggs, toasted bread, apple cinnamon jam, creamy white cheese and a glass of orange juice. Kurama drowns himself in thought. _"It's almost like what mom used to make. All it's lacking now are some sausage—"_

"Oh, I forgot to get the sausage patties from the easy-grill!"

He smiles, but it is gone unnoticed by Botan.

"Let me just get the sausages, okay? They're from this new section at the grocery store Keiko recommended to me yesterday. I'll be back before you know it!" She sets down the tray on his lap before shuffling to the door.

Kurama picks up the bread knife and begins buttering his toast. His mother was half right. He shouldn't try to order people's hearts. If they want to do something for him, they'd do it on their own free will. She is, however, still half wrong, considering he never became completely honest to Botan about _everything_.

A loud sneeze, then a sigh. He is going to have to prepare something extra special for her as soon as he gets better.


	6. Blossoming

_Standard disclaimers apply._

**NOTHING IF NOT**

_**By Cassandra's Destiny**_

.

_Nothing if not… blossoming_

.

She was spending the week at Keiko's house with permission from Koenma to take a leave. It was a once in a blue moon thing, actually, to have been given the week off. To her dismay though, second day in her stay there and already, she was having trouble with house guests.

"Flowers? I didn't order any flowers."

The door was opened slightly, careful not to have the house ransacked while Keiko was buying groceries. She begged her to let her come with, but she gave her a flat no. _"It'd be good to have someone house sit while I'm out." _She said.

"You must have the wrong address."

"Is this the house of Miss Keiko?" The delivery man read directly from a clip board in one hand, another hand carefully balancing a basket of long stemmed roses.

"Yes, this is the house of…" She trailed off. Would Yusuke be sweet enough to send Keiko flowers? Give her flowers on a date, perhaps, but to actually send her flowers at home?

"The flowers are addressed to Miss Botan."

She froze. Did the guy say Botan? That's her! "Uh, come in." Opening the door wider to accommodate her guest, she can only take a step back as to not stand in his way. When asked where to place the basket, she absent-mindedly pointed to a corner near the sliding doors to the backyard.

She watched as more delivery men came in with baskets and baskets of flowers. Each basket contained the same type and color, and there were no two baskets with the same kind.

Moments later, Botan can only imagine how many roses and carnations were inside Keiko's house. She sat on a corner, surrounded by the many baskets. It was a beautiful sight, as if she was in a field of garlands. There were jasmines, orchids, iris, germinis and tulips. Baskets were designed with an array of glitter, ribbons and short bamboo sticks. She smelled the bouquets of gardenia to her front and smiled at the wonder of it all.

Much too caught up with the overwhelming amount of flowers, Botan didn't notice the sound of footsteps becoming louder.

"What's with all the flowers?"

She almost jumped at the sound of his voice suddenly becoming loud in her ears. Watching Kurama sit on the floor next to her, she eyed him suspiciously. "Did you send the flowers?"

His face was blank.

"They came a while ago and they were addressed to me, and—"

"Do you like them?"

"What?"

"The flowers…" He turned to his side to pick the best peony in the basket, and held it out to her. "Do you like the flowers?"

She marveled at how beautifully the peony has blossomed. Keeping its stem between her fingers, she slowly nodded before replying, "I love them. They're beautiful."

He smiled. "Then I'm glad."

A moment of silence passed. Botan let her eyes wander off to admire the flowers at their blossoming. Never in her lifetime had she received bouquets as many as this, and because she worked nonstop and didn't really have a home address, not even a single rose has been delivered to her. True, Kurama gave her a dozen of roses once or twice in the past but they were all given by him _personally_. Never has she experienced having to accept gifts from a delivery man because someone took the time to actually have them sent to her. "Kurama?"

"Yea?" He said, without even turning to look at her.

A rather tentative peck on his cheek caught him by surprise. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and saw she was biting her lower lip and fighting off the blush that crept to her cheeks.

Turning his attention to the peony she kept in her hand, Kurama was glad he made the arrangements with Koenma to allow Botan to stay the week at Keiko's house.


	7. Radiant

_Standard disclaimers apply._

**NOTHING IF NOT**

_**By Cassandra's Destiny**_

.

_Nothing if not… radiant_

.

"What are you doing?"

"Standing up."

"Kurama, don't leave me here!"

"Then come on, let's look for candles."

It was only a little past eight, and already, the sky was covered by a dark shroud. A starless night, it was, and what should have been an illuminating moon is now a heavenly body masked by dark and heavy clouds.

It did not come as a relief that a blackout had befallen the already dim night.

"Doesn't your mother keep flash lights handy?"

"She does." His response made Botan sigh in relief. Thank heavens for flashlights, indeed! That was, of course, until Kurama continued. "But I'm not betting on her keeping batteries."

A sigh.

"Don't worry, Botan, we'll find something."

Soon, she hoped. "Ouch!"

He turned around and tried to make out her face in the dark. There she was, gritting her teeth, with one hand on her head. "I hit my head," she let out a fake cry.

Although it normally would have been rude to do so in front of a person in pain, Kurama let out a small laugh.

"What's so funny?"

She felt him step closer to her, placing a hand over hers. "You."

"Me?"

He hummed in agreement. "You're always occupied with work, spirits and monsters, yet you're always happy and never get frustrated. Now, you're all worked up by a blackout."

"You're mean."

He laughed again. "I'm a truth-teller, Botan."

"A thief that tells the truth, yes, that makes perfect sense!" She stuck out her tongue to him and continued walking ahead.

Had the hallway been well-lit, Kurama would now be watching her form slowly disappear into the kitchen. His lips curling into a soft smile, he surmised; there was something he isn't being told.

"I found the candles!"

Matches in hand, he lit two candles, handing one over to Botan. "Is there something you want to tell me?" He asked her, all the while busying himself with the contents of the pantry.

"Something I want to tell you?"

"Something I should know, or you think I would like to know…"

"You're not making sense, Kurama."

He nodded once. "Perhaps, but the dark?"

"The what?"

"We don't have to talk about it if you don't want us to," he said, taking out two cups of instant noodles. "Do you think it's still hot?"

She was befuddled. Four seconds ago, he was talking about the dark. Now, he was asking her if it's still hot. _What's still hot?_

"The water, you think it was kept at a high temperature even if the power has gone out?"

"Oh, well," she took a much needed pause. He was rambling about too many things at a time, or so it seemed in her point of view. "It's worth a try."

Moments later, they were seated side by side on the breakfast nook, each taking a mouthful of their instant noodles. In between servings, Kurama noted, "I was planning a candlelit dinner for the two of us, yes, but I never imagined it would literally be a _candlelit_meal that consists of MSG-rich instant noodles and bottled water."

She smiled at his attempt at humor. After all, it's not every day such a candlelit dinner happens. "I find it romantic nonetheless…"

"Great, then," he silently took a sip of his distilled water before continuing. "But are you sure? I mean, if you don't want us to talk about it, it's okay, but I want you to know that I would like it very much for you to shed some light on your whole episode with the blackout, and, really, Botan, it's okay. I promise not to laugh or anything, in case that's what you're worrying about. You know I…" He trailed off once his head caught up with his speech.

"You what?" She faked the innocent smile on her lips, but the glistening in her eyes did not go unnoticed.

"Don't tease, Botan."

She laughed lightly. "You talk a lot sometimes."

"Yea? I guess it's the noodles. I don't know, maybe this stuff is bad for me and I just don't know it, or I haven't realized it, or I am yet to find out. After all, there are instances wherein a person only learns he or she is allergic to something after years of consuming the product little by little. The case is rare, but it does occur. In my case, it must be the content of instant noodles, especially when—"

"I don't like the dark." Her voice was soft, too soft, and Kurama would not have heard her had it not been for the absence of appliance-produced buzzes. "There, I said it. It's not that I hate the dark. I just… don't like it."

"Okay."

Looking up from her cup of noodles, confusion was evident in her face. "Okay?"

"Yes. Okay," the finality in his tone had her worrying about what was going in his head.

"You're not asking anything else? Not making fun of me?"

He shook his head. "I told you I won't laugh. So you're not a fan of the dark…" Placing down his cup on the nook, he shifted in his seat to face her. "No big deal."

What was an unmistakably assertive move on her part, Botan placed a chaste kiss on his cheek before taking another spoonful of her soup. "You're just saying that because you want more of my noodles. Screw allergies."


	8. Accepting

_Standard disclaimers apply._

**NOTHING IF NOT**

_**By Cassandra's Destiny**_

.

_Nothing if not... accepting_

.

"You're leaving?"

When he did not reply right away, her gaze faded into a distance. She wasn't sure if he heard her, wasn't sure if it was really her own voice she heard. Perhaps all the drama she has made of the situation left her dizzy, or worse, slightly delusional.

Keiko offered to host a sleepover if it'd make her feel any better, or to take a month-long baking class with her if it'd ease the pain. Kuwabara went through a lot to teach his pet cat to attend to her needs as eagerly as possible. Yusuke reluctantly admitted that he tried to talk Koenma into sending her off for a mission while all this happened.

"_I thought it would be better if you just heard about it from us, rather than seeing and hearing it firsthand. I mean, maybe it would have been less… heartbreaking."_

_Botan could not help but smile. Considerate was something Yusuke has always been. Sneaky, yes, but he only wanted to spare her feelings._

"Botan?"

Really, it was better this way. The impact, perhaps, would be less if she heard it from someone else, but a million questions would definitely be running in her head days after. Why didn't he tell her? Why didn't he even say goodbye? Why didn't she know about it sooner?

She almost forgot to respond. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry," his lips were moving, so she was certain the voices in her head were not poking fun at her.

"You're really leaving…" She spoke slowly, silently hoping that she can stall him, force him to stay longer.

A swirling gust of wind passed, and she felt his fingers inch towards her. He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I'll be back," he whispered, before placing a light kiss on her forehead.

"Promise?" Botan held on to one of his hands, afraid he was going to vanish before her eyes. "Promise me you'll come back."

He smiled. "Botan," he began, untangling his fingers with hers. "Yes," came his reply. "I promise."

It was a simple proclamation, a promise. And really, it was better like this – she seeing him off, rather than waking up the next morning and finding him gone for a good while. Difficult as it was, she would not have it any other way.

"I'll be waiting."


	9. Pensive

_Standard disclaimers apply._

**NOTHING IF NOT**

_**By Cassandra's Destiny**_

.

_Nothing if not... pensive_

.

The danger in falling in love is not in the falling.

Even if you fall too hard, too fast, too deeply, standing up is an option too viable to ignore. Even if you find yourself broken after the fall, you can always pick up the pieces… make a conscious decision to find the shattered parts of you, and patch them back together.

The real danger in falling in love – in being involved with love – is the attachment that comes with it.

When a man and a woman enter into a relationship, when they put too much of themselves to and in each other, a danger that goes beyond being broken surfaces. The man and the woman are no longer two entities – the _he_ and the _she_; instead, they become a _they_, the irrefutable collective.

Starry-eyed romantics see this as no danger, arguing that an out-and-out union of everything about man and woman is necessary to a loving and long-lasting relationship. Pragmatists, sometimes cynics too, will say that the matter is debatable. They will argue that lovers should be confident in who they are individually before all else, and the absolute fusion of man and woman will not only jeopardize the relationship in itself (over dependence in their partner), but will also make each of them vulnerable (susceptible sense of self). After all, when the _they_ cease to exist, what happens to _you_?

Letting out a long exhale, Botan fell, back first, onto the bed. It has been four days since he left, and while going back from the airport, Keiko offered that she stayed with her for the mean time. She accepted, of course, perhaps unthinkingly hoping that it would make the days go by faster.

_"Have you ever encountered the saying that absence makes the heart grow fonder? Many books and movies say that, so there must be some truth to it, right?"_ Keiko's words rang in her head.

She stared blankly at the ceiling for a minute, mindful of the clock ticking on the bedside table. Does absence really make the heart grow fonder? Actually, she couldn't care less. What's important to her is what she makes of the absence… his absence. If the time apart is as inevitable as it is, and as it always will be, maybe she should welcome it as an opportunity for character development.

From the many years of escorting souls to the Spirit world, she has heard one too many stories of lovers finding themselves out of love, each often running on an empty sense of who they are soon after. Who was she now without him? Who was he now without her?

This is the classic, albeit tragic story of lovers ceasing to exist, when she has already invested too much in _them_, and not enough in _her_.

"_I'll be back… I promise."_

There was no question that she has fallen in love with him – that she misses him – but she wants to be identified as Botan and he as Kurama. With his absence, she refuses to succumb to a forlorn feeling and the idea of being incomplete.

You don't want a man who completes you. You want a man who will love you completely.

"And I hope that man is him," she whispered to herself before falling into slumber.


	10. Changing

_Standard disclaimers apply._

**NOTHING IF NOT**

_**By Cassandra's Destiny**_

.

_Nothing if not… changing_

.

It was barely seven o' clock, but the inn they were staying in lay unusually dark. It was Yusuke's idea to go backpacking that weekend. And for a group that has been through circumstances far worse than canned beans and mud puddles, give them an afternoon and they were good to go.

Everything was going well at first, but when Keiko came down with a cold, pitching a tent in the middle of nowhere was an option left unconsidered by Yusuke. Forget backpacking, he says; they were finding a decent place to spend the night.

Although she would not dare say it aloud, she was glad it was Keiko who fell ill. Had it been anyone else – Kuwabara, for example – they will all have to put up with Yusuke's shameless grumblings on how his plan to get away from it all and enjoy life in its barest form fell down the drain because of a couple of sneezes here and there.

Botan looked up into the early night sky from the edge of the mini-forest facing the lake. There were no stars visible yet, and barely a silver moon to illuminate her surroundings. She inhaled deeply as a sudden gust filled the air. The winds were changing; summer has really long gone.

As her thoughts floated back to her friends, she remembered telling them she'll be out for a short walk as they got ready for dinner. Yusuke didn't pay her any attention. He was too busy forcing all kinds of tea into Keiko's system. Regarding his backpacking idea, she appreciated his intentions, really. Her busy agenda working for Koenma has been much busier recently, and the hustle and bustle of the city did not do her any good. Besides, there has been no one to take evening strolls with, no one to give her a rose every time she was down, no one to push her in the swings at the park, no one to make her feel safe, no one to hold her hand and kiss her good night…

Botan sighed and shifted her gaze to her feet. It was mid-November, and the chill of winter is on the horizon. The leaves have changed color on cue, and the autumn foliage ranged from red to yellow.

It has been exactly two months since Kurama left, and the weeks have passed by slowly. During the first two weeks, she reveled the time she had for herself. She spent the afternoons catching up on her paperwork, and the evenings catching up on the gossip with the other girls. On the third week, she would often forget he was out, and end up taking the longer route back from Yusuke's house. It was only when she finds herself on his doorstep that she remembers, and she would then decide to visit his mother anyway. On the fourth week, things were pretty much the same. But this time, her visits to his mother became more frequent.

A month later, it wasn't that things became harder. It only alarmed her that things seemed to have normalized already. Before going to Yusuke's, she drops by at Keiko's house either to help her with her chores or to whip up something random from the cookbook together, delivers news or missions from Koenma to Yusuke, then occasionally dropping in to visit Kurama's mother.

A falling leaf landed on the side of her feet.

She wondered. When Kurama comes home – because with them is his home – will they still be the same two people from two months ago?

Two months may seem to be a short time from another's perspective, but two months seem like forever to her and–

The crack of a broken twig caught her attention. Botan turned around, her eyes making out the silhouette of a man not far from where she was standing. She could neither see him clearly, nor could his shadowed contour transcend the effects of a moonlit background.

"Kurama?" She asked, hopeful for a positive reply. Perhaps this was part of Yusuke's plan all along. Perhaps he knew Kurama was coming back, and he wanted to frustrate her with a trip to nowhere first, and then surprise her with his return.

Thinking of the possibility only made her heart flutter.

"I can't believe it. I didn't think you'd be back so soon… I was hoping you would, but maybe I was trying to be realistic, or just preparing myself for the worst. That didn't mean I stopped thinking about you, though," then she paused, waiting for a response.

When she heard no word from him, she took it as a sign for her to continue. "I visited your mom a couple of times while you were gone. I think she misses you a tad more than I do, which is completely understandable." A trifling smile. "She made me think of the good times we've had together, but when I'm alone, I won't lie, my mind drifts back to restlessness. Two months is a long time, Kurama, for me, at least, and I wonder how much has changed… how much you have changed, how much I have changed, how much we have changed, but more importantly, if we changed the way we feel…" she trailed off.

"Come on, say something. I know I–"

"I just came to ask if you wanted rice or dinner rolls with your meal."

She swallowed hard. It was Kuwabara, probably sent by his sister to ask her about dinner.

"I guess I'll," she began slowly, obviously dejected to see her much taller friend instead of another. How she had mistaken their silhouettes with one another, she could not comprehend. "I'll have the dinner rolls, please."

"Alright," he replied with an apologetic smile. He knew, as everyone else did, that it has been two months since Kurama left, and Botan hasn't been the same since. Slowly leaving the forest grounds, he can only wish for things to get better. Kuwabara knew better than to make a lousy attempt at lightening her mood with a string of bad jokes.

He wasn't here and he wasn't home. Not yet, she cooed herself. But she had to wait, because he promised he will be back.

As Botan turned on her heel to follow suit, she was surprised to see a red-haired man standing in front of her, with a single rose tucked in between his fingers.

"How long have you been standing there?"


	11. Helpful

_Standard disclaimers apply._

**NOTHING IF NOT**

_**By Cassandra's Destiny**_

.

_Nothing if not... helpful_

.

"What are you doing?" He watched her as she played with her pen, making a thoughtful pause after scribbling a few words. She dragged him to some novelty store before going back to the Spirit World, and all she bought was an empty card made of specialty paper, which she was currently writing on.

"Let me rephrase that: What do you _think_ you're doing?"

She ignored him still, concentrating hard on whatever it was she was writing on that piece of card.

A full minute has passed, and Kurama was idly standing next to her along the halls. She had positioned the card near the doorframe in the absence of a table, and began writing down what he thought was some kind of letter. Her brows were furrowed and eyes narrowed. Somehow, she looked adorable, albeit annoyed. Perhaps she couldn't decide what to write next?

"Botan—"

"Don't talk too much, Kurama. You'll get us caught."

Get them caught? What were _they_ doing?

"Get caught doing what exactly?" Surely, there was no rule against loitering. Those kinds of regulations are meant for schools, and last time he checked, this was no institution for learning – at least not in the terms humans define it. "Botan, what do you think you're doing?"

"Shhh," she gave him a quick but playful glare. "I _think_ I'm writing."

"Writing what?"

She jotted down something in script then smiled triumphantly. From where he was standing, though, Kurama could not read what was on the card.

"There, go see if it's alright." Handing him the piece of paper, she looked at him expectantly.

Silently reading the contents of the card – to whom it was addressed, its alleged sender, the message – "What do you think you're doing, Botan?"

She shot him a mischievous smile before snatching the card from him. "Well," she began, pretending to go over her love note. "I _think_ I'm sneaking into Koenma's office."

"With a love note? Botan…"

She placed a finger on his lips, as if to silence him for good. "We need to move quickly. Ayame will be arriving to report at his office in two minutes, five minutes tops. And we have to slip this into the second drawer from the top of the filing cabinet, left of the window."

Why does he have the feeling _we_ meant _he_, and remembering where the card had to be slipped in was something he should do. "Botan, what you want us (me) to do is trespassing, and wouldn't that be interfering with their private lives?"

She shook a finger in front of him. "We're simply helping them, Kurama."

Her tone made it seem to him that she was so convinced of the help she was about to give to Koenma and Ayame, and he feared it was inevitable to argue against it. To argue against her. When Botan has set her mind on something, he knew of the difficulty of convincing her to do otherwise. His thoughts flew to the amount of trouble he had to go through just to talk her out of buying boxes of diabetes-inducing sweets for his mother… and still, he failed.

"Helping? Perhaps if you're using the term loosely."

"We're giving them the push they need," she began explaining. "Ayame is timid as ever and she hasn't showed any obvious openings for Koenma to follow through with what happened before. She likes him, Kurama. She told me so. Maybe she has been sending out signals to him, but you know guys," she said, allowing her voice to trail off.

He almost sweatdropped. Almost. Of course he was not an exception, but was it really his fault he did not get it when she hinted that she liked the blue teddy bear better than the green one?

"Koenma has been very busy, too, so he hasn't had the chance to act on his feelings."

Said feeling left undisclosed to her, probably.

She let out a blissful sigh before turning to the doorknob located in between them. "Besides, just because I got my happy ending with you doesn't mean I'd want to be the only one getting it, right?"

Botan was a meter into Koenma's office when her words sunk in. _He_ was her happy ending.

"Botan," he called, walking swiftly to his side. "Maybe you should be a little less aggressive with the love note. I don't think Koenma will go as far as saying he loved her to the ends of any world for the first time, _and_ on paper."

She nodded once and proceeded to changing that part of the note.

Kurama silently stood behind her, checking for possible errors in characterization, but there were already none.

As she pushed him to the file cabinets near the window, he pretended not to hear her suppress a giggle.

_He_ was her partner in crime, and her happy ending.

But what a coincidence, she was his happy ending too.


	12. Uncharted

_Standard disclaimers apply._

**NOTHING IF NOT**

_**By Cassandra's Destiny**_

.

_Nothing if not… uncharted_

.

Sometimes, she wonders how she can break into his house without anyone noticing. She was nothing like Yusuke who had the strength, or Hiei who had the stealth to pull it off, or Kuwabara – no, despite his will power, his loudness probably would have woken up the neighbors five minutes ago.

Sometimes, she wonders if she can just sit and act like nothing was out of place, like how it was not two in the morning, and how she was not in his room uninvited.

But sometimes, she wonders why beings like her even had dreams; it was not as if they were prophetic or anything. She has always believed it was quite the opposite. Then again, if that was really the case, why did she not drink a glass of water, sucked it up and went back to sleep, instead of putting on her sandals and hurrying to his house like her life depended on it?

"I feel like a stalker," she thought as she buried her face in her hands in what felt like a mixture of confusion, annoyance, weariness and overwhelming joy.

Hearing a groan escaped his lips, she jumped on her seat. _"Did I say that out loud?"_

She was about to make a run for the window when she heard him say her name.

"What are you doing here?"

He sounded groggy, and her eyes flew to his alarm clock on the bedside table. 2:17 AM, it read. _Kurama's going to eat me alive once he's lucid._

"Botan?"

She panicked. "Hi?"

He furrowed his brows in confusion at her odd response. "Botan, what are you doing here?

"I," she began, unsure of what to say next. How cheesy will the truth sound? "I just… I had a really bad dream, and when I woke up, I had this nagging feeling that it was real, or it was going to happen soon. I just… I wanted to make sure you didn't try to leave without telling me again."

As soon as the words escaped her lips, she bit her tongue. She was rambling. A blush crept up her cheeks at the realization of what went down in her moment of diarrhea of the mouth.

He simply stayed there, and Botan could not see his eyes in the darkness. Only now did she notice that he shifted on the bed in such a way that part of his upper body was now pushed back on the head board.

Uncomfortable, she held her breath, looking down at the carpeted floor. So many different thoughts were running through her mind: Was his silence her cue to bolt for the door? Rather, the window? Would he remember her break in come sunrise? Would he take it against her that she went in his room without permission?

She almost did not hear him calling her name.

"Come here." He said with finality as he patted the space beside him. "It's too dark outside to let you go home alone."

She let out a long exhale, climbing up his bed. Maybe if he slept next to her, she wouldn't be so threatened by the thought of losing him.

* * *

_A/N: Raise your right hand if you miss Yu Yu Hakusho, especially Kurama and Botan. Raise your left hand if you missed me! (You can't see me, but I'm raising both hands, and the left one's for all of you.)_


	13. Conceding

_Standard disclaimers apply._

**NOTHING IF NOT**

_**By Cassandra's Destiny**_

.

_Nothing if not… conceding_

.

"Say it, Kurama."

With the view of a thunderstorm from the window as her background, Botan stood tall in the middle of Kurama's bedroom. "Just say it. You know you want to."

Kurama gave her a half smile as he shrugged his shoulders. It was funny how drastically their plans had changed for the day, from eating ice cream in the park that afternoon, to running back to his house completely soaked by the heavy rains. "Have you tried calling Keiko today?"

She clicked her tongue in disapproval. "Don't even try to change the subject, Kurama. It's not going to work."

When he didn't say anything, she huffed. Kurama watched her as she put her hands on her hips in a display of a playful fit. With her soaked sundress in the laundry room downstairs, he let her borrow one of his button down shirts from his closet. Although his clothes were much larger on her, she looked absolutely feminine with her tiny frame encased in his shirt, sleeves rolled up midway to her elbows.

She just had to choose the red one, because she knew it was his favorite. "You look very feminine, Botan."

She raised a brow and replied, "thank you?"

"It was a compliment."

"Really? Or was that your way of telling me I don't look like a girl in my own clothes?"

He let out a small laugh. "Of course not. It was my way of trying to end this part of the conversation."

"It's not going to end unless you say it, Kurama." Tugging on the hem of the shirt, she tried to look disinterested. "Just say I look better in your clothes so you can lose already."

That was the problem. Despite growing up with such a loving and selfless mother, part of him still was very much like his Youko self, and Youko Kurama does not like to lose. "I'm going downstairs to check on our clothes."

"You're such a sore loser," she teased, sticking her tongue out.

"I haven't lost yet, Botan."

"So what are you—" She was cut off by Kurama, who, with such speed, lifted her off her feet. She was too surprised by his actions to protest, so when he laid her on his bed, all she could do was to stare at the man towering over her.

"Stay still and close your eyes," even in whisper, his voice carried such a commanding tone she could not ignore.

Slowly, she closed her eyes, even if her heart was pounding loudly, and she can feel herself getting lightheaded. "Kurama…"

"Shh, don't say anything." She shivered as she felt his hot breath on her skin. They have been in such close proximity like this before, but never had she felt so uneasy.

In a twinkling, she felt something on her forehead, but it wasn't a peck for sure.

"Kurama, I don't…" She muttered under her breath, heart still racing.

"I'd lose to you anytime," she heard him say from a distance, and then the sound of the door creaking rang in her ear.

For a couple of seconds, she did not move, did not open her eyes. With a hand on her chest, she steadied her breathing. Although the rain outside drowned snatches of conversations from what seemed to be 10-year olds playing in the rain, Kurama's voice was crystal clear, playing over and over in her head.

_"I'd lose to you anytime…"_

As she opened her eyes, her thoughts of him having left the room were confirmed. In an attempt to wipe the sweat off her brow, she discovered something on her forehead: a yellow post-it note.

Brows furrowed, she sighed. It was the most unromantic thing in the world, to be alone on someone else's bed with a note on your forehead.

Finding out what was on the note, however, was a different story altogether.

_You look beautiful in anything, even in my clothes._


	14. Assured

_Standard disclaimers apply._

**NOTHING IF NOT**

_**By Cassandra's Destiny**_

.

_Nothing if not… assured_

.

As he makes his way through the park in silence, he pulls his coat closer to his body. It could not have been later than half past five and already, it was dark out. He does not need to look up to know that the rain had picked up. After all, it had been drizzling all summer, and it was only a matter of time before the drizzles formed large raindrops, and the raindrops poured down together as a thunderstorm, such as the one he knows they were going to have tonight.

He didn't mind the rain, and he is sure she didn't either. "The rain always made everything seem more vivid," she once said, as if she was some kind of painter or photographer describing a masterpiece. Kuwabara laughed at her then, he remembers, and Yusuke soon joined in the laughter after seeing her face flush of embarrassment from making what seemed to be such a childish statement.

Walking past a small clearing, he sees her standing on the middle of a little white bridge – the one where she used to drop lilies from with Keiko and Yukina late in the spring. He watches her as she raises both of her hands in the air, palms up, reveling in the feeling of the rain drumming against her skin.

Did she lose her umbrella along the way, or did she not bother bringing one at all? Stepping closer to the foot of the bridge, he resolves that whether it was the latter or the former, he would not mind sharing his umbrella, if only to keep half of her dry.

"Be careful, Botan," he calls out, hoping she would neither break out in song nor jump to her death. She may not be like any ordinary human being, but she does watch a lot of their romance movies.

"Kurama!"

"You're not going to jump, are you?"

He watches her as she puts a hand on her hips and pretends to think about it for a moment. "No."

"But what if you had fallen?"

"I saw you coming..." She begins slowly, "and I knew that if I fell, you would catch me."


	15. Patient

_Standard disclaimers apply._

**NOTHING IF NOT**

_**By Cassandra's Destiny**_

.

_Nothing if not… patient_

.

"Shizuru got pretty violent with Kuwabara yesterday."

With two glasses of ice water in hand, Kurama slid into the restaurant booth. "Oh? What for?"

Resting her chin on her hand, she tried to recall what it was that ticked the older girl off this time. "Kuwabara was slacking off again in school, I think, and Shizuru did not like it one bit."

"I doubt she would."

"The funny thing about it, though, was how affected Kuwabara was when Shizuru used the Yukina card."

"The Yukina card?"

"You know, the whole 'What would Yukina say if she found out you were doing so poorly in school because of spending so much time with her _and_ thinking about her?'" She explained, imitating the tone Shizuru uses when reprimanding her younger brother. "The look on Kuwabara's face was priceless!"

"I can imagine," he said a little distractedly, slowly moving his hand to take his glass of water. What was taking their order so long?

"Sometimes I find myself worrying…"

His response was delayed. "About Kuwabara?"

"No," she shook her head. "About Yukina. Kuwabara can be a handful, you know?"

"That's true, although I worry for Kuwabara more." He emptied his glass in a single gulp, the remaining ice cubes creating a soft rattling noise from hitting each other.

"How come?"

"The way things are now, Kuwabara has two people he can never get off his back."

She detected a hint of amusement in his tone, and her eyes shone with interest. "What do you mean?"

"His sister, for one," he began, raising his head to see if any of the servers were coming their way. "And as long as Kuwabara's pursuing Yukina, Hiei will never leave him alone."

At this, she giggled nervously, perhaps replaying in her head what Kurama heard from Yusuke as Hiei's threat if either he or Botan ever slipped to anyone about his relationship with Yukina.

"That's true. Don't you find it interesting how things turned out for Hiei, though? I mean, he has quite a temper, and having to watch Kuwabara be near Yukina all the time – and with him not being able to do much about it – it must be aggravating!"

Amusing as Hiei's situation was, he could not bring himself to feel more than indifference to anything she said, especially when he has already seen someone from the kitchen with just what they ordered.

"I wonder how long Hiei will last without coming close to slitting Kuwabara's throat or cutting off his limbs! Kuwabara's very strong feelings for Yukina will surely be a test of patience for Hiei!"

He shrugged, already having had shifted his attention to the server.

Muttering his thanks, he then took the dish off the tray and–

"Don't eat it yet!" She said, swatting his hand away from the food.

Her reprimand came a little too suddenly, not to mention a little too loudly, that Kurama almost dropped his spoon. He was never one to be impatient, especially not with food, but the hot weather was enough to have him laying the groundwork for a full-on protest. "Why not?"

Brows furrowed, she replied: "Because."

Five, six seconds had passed, and when she did not continue with her explanation, he found himself growing more and more impatient. "Because?"

This time, he did not even get a single word out of her.

Kurama sighed, but despite the dramatics evident in his action (to get Botan's attention, no doubt), she only continued staring at the long, narrow dish between them. He then watched her as she used her spoon to scoop out the nuts and place them on the sides.

"You don't eat nuts?"

"I do."

Now she was scooping out the strawberries. "Botan–"

"I do."

"What?"

"I eat strawberries too."

Kurama wasn't too sure what was going on, but a few moments later, much of the grated chocolate has been scooped out as well. "What about–"

"I do."

Apparently, she eats chocolates too. "Even the–"

"I do." (Whipped cream.)

"And the–"

"I do." (Chocolate ice cream.)

If she does, then what was going on? For the nth time that afternoon, Kurama found himself growing more and more impatient. "This banana split is for eating, Botan. I don't think dissecting it, of all things, is hardly your idea of a hot summer afternoon."

At the very subtle bite in his tone, her head snapped up. A small smile was playing on her lips. "Lose it, why don't you?"

She was happy… a little _too_ happy. Kurama may not be too sure what was going on, but he was certain something about this was not going in his favor.

"It's just a banana cut in half and topped with more ice cream than necessary, Kurama." She clicked her tongue, as if reprimanding him for being such an impatient child. "No need to lose your patience. Who would have thought you were worse than Hiei? And over an order of banana split too!"

When she saw him draw his lips apart, she was sure he was going to defend himself _("It's too hot a summer's day, he'll say.")_, but when it looked as if he decided against it, Botan took it as a cue for her to continue teasing him.

"You know, Kurama," she began, even wagging her finger at him for good measure. But before she could say anything, Kurama had already taken the one cherry on their banana split and put it in his mouth.

"Kurama!"

No answer.

"How could you?"

Still nothing.

"You know I love cherries!" She narrowed her eyes at him, wishing that she can telepathically relay to him her annoyance.

But she only heard him click his tongue.

"No need to lose your patience, Botan. It's just a cherry."

* * *

_A/N: It has been four years, really? Well, cheesy as it sounds, Yu Yu Hakusho has been in our hearts for far longer. Anyway, a big thank you to everyone who has still kept their love for Kurama and Botan, especially Smexy Kitten, who seemed to have never missed an update!_


End file.
